The capture of LTTE terrorists’ stronghold Kilinochchi, from where they directed all dastardly operations in the country, marks the end of a decades-long terrorist menace that brought immense destruction to the country and suffering to people in this country. While other youthful groups gave up violence and chose the path of democratic negotiation, the LTTE continued its destructive path despite the numerous appeals made to them to fall in line with the democratic process.

The Mahinda Rajapaksa Government, having tried and failed to get the LTTE to agree to a reasonable solution through negotiations, launched the military campaign beginning with the exercise to wrest Mavil Aru from terrorist clutches. Hurdles and obstacles placed on its path by forces, internal as well as external, were numerous. The moral support that the government received in this task from moderate Tamil parties and groups that broke away from the LTTE has to be acknowledged.

As President Mahinda Rajapaksa has throughout emphasised, the elimination of terrorism would mark the beginning of the task for solving the ethnic problem. So now the government has, first to ensure that the Tamil people in the area who have suffered for long are provided with all that they need to get back to their normal life.